Pin dispenser



Aug. 25, 1964 w. w. PATTERSON PIN DISPENSER Filed July 3, 1962 INVENTOR 1 Wooozow WPFTTZ/PSM 2 ATK iEY United States Patent O 3,146,042 PIN DISPENSER Woodrow W. Patterson, 3723 Princeton Ave, Nashville 5, Tenn. Filed July 3, 1962, Ser. No. 2117,219 9 Claims. (Cl. 31273) This invention relates to a dispenser for straight pins, and more particularly to a device for magnetically dispensing straight pins.

One object of this invention is to provide a novel device for automatically dispensing straight pins in an efficient and orderly manner to a position readily available to the user.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel straight pin dispenser which may be supported on a portable base singly or in multiple units.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel straight pin dispenser which is adaptable for use by workers in garment factories, tailors or dressmakers, or for use in the home or any other place where straight pins are needed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel straight pin dispenser incorporating a tubular container for the pins, which may be easily loaded in situ, or removed and replaced with another loaded container.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of one form of the invention in which four units are supported on a single base;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the invention disclosed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, one form of the dispensing device comprises a base upon which a pair of upright posts 11 and 12 are mounted parallel to each other and normal to the base 10. The tops of the upright posts 11 and 12 are joined by a bar 13, which not only assists in supporting the posts 11 and 12, but also provides a convenient handle for rendering the entire device portable. Extending forwardly from the post 12 are a top support rod 15 and a bottom support rod 16, terminating in substantially vertically aligned closed loops or rings 17 and 18, respectively.

Adapted to be slidably received and supported in the support loops 17 and 18 is an elongated tubular body or cylindrical column 21) for receiving a plurality of straight pins 21. The top of the column is open to form an inlet for loading the pins into the column 20. The open top may be closed by any type of closure means such as the cap or stopper 22, if desired.

The bottom portion of the column 20 comprises an annular side wall 23 which tapers downwardly and inwardly to join the periphery of the circular bottom wall 24, which is substantially flat. A circular hole is formed entirely through the center of the bottom wall 24 to provide an outlet for the pins 21.

The dimensions of the column 24) are critical to the extent that the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion of the column 20 must be sufiiciently less than the length of each straight pin 21 to prevent the pins from lodging or jamming against the column walls and to force the pins 21 to descend in a substantially upright position in the column 20, as disclosed in the drawings. It has been found that the diameter of the cylindrical portion of the column 20 should preferably not exceed one-half the length of any of the straight pins 21. The diameter of the hole 25 is preferably large enough to permit 7 or 8 straight pins to pass therethrough. It is quite important for the top surface of the bottom wall 24 surround- 3,146,342 Patented Aug. 25, 1964 ing the outlet 25 to provide an annular ledge upon which several straight pins may rest, so that all the pins in the bottom portion 23 will not jam in the hole 25. Thus, although the side wall 23 is tapered, it does not taper directly into the hole 25, but merely serves to guide some of the straight pins upon the ledge 24.

The diameter of the top loop 17 is slightly greater than the outer diameter of the column 29 to permit the column 22 to easily pass therethrough and to serve as a stabilizer for maintaining the column 21) in an upright position. On the other hand, the bottom loop 18 has a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the cylindrical portion of the column 219 in order that it may receive the tapered bottom portion 23 snugly and thereby support and limit the downward movement of the column 20.

A magnet 30 having a top surface 31, preferably flat, is supported in a corresponding recess in the base 1% The top surface 31 is slightly raised above the top surface of the base 10 and spaced below the bottom wall 24 a distance less than the length of any of the straight pins 21. The strength of the magnet is such that it will not only draw the straight pins 21 through the outlet 25 and rigidly support them in substantially upright position, as disclosed in FIG. 3, but will also magnetize a chain of straight pins 21 up through the column 29. Thus, as each straight pin 21 upon the top surface 31 is withdrawn, the next successive magnetized pin will be pulled downward through the column and drawn into a substantially rigid position upon the surface 31 in an orderly manner.

Although the invention may constitute only one column 2t) and its corresponding supports 12, 15, 16, 17, 1% and magnetic surface 31, it will be understood that multiple columns may be employed. For example, the device disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2 is adapted to support four columns, two columns supported on opposite sides of each of the posts 11 and 12. FIG. 1 discloses the column 20 supported in front of the post 12, and also another column 21) supported by the loops 17 and 18' in front of the post 17. The magnet 30 may a horseshoe type, having one end comprising the top flat surface 31, previously described, and its other end extending upwardly to form a flat top surface 31' beneath the column 20. The column 20 may also include an inlet cap 22'.

FIG. 2 discloses another column 20" supported in the same plane as the column 2'1 but behind the post 12, by means of support rods 15 and 16 and the loops 17 and 18". The column 20" is also provided with the inlet cap 22". Another horseshoe magnet 30" is mounted in the base 20 so that its top surface 31 will be immediately below the column 20". The horseshoe magnet 30 extends behind the post 11 to provide another surface, not shown, below the fourth column, not shown, supported directly behind the post 11, in the same manner as the column 20".

One important feature of this invention is that the straight pins 21 must all be made of magnetizable material, such as steel, which is the conventional material for straight pins. Besides the straight pins 21 and the magnets 30 and 36, all the other materials in or near the device must be non-magnetic. The base 11 the posts 11 and 12, and the handle 13 are disclosed as made from wood, while the support rods 15 and 16 and the loops 1'7 and 18 are made from a non-magnetic material, which is slightly pliable to permit bending for minor vertical adjustments in supporting the elevation of the column 219 above the magnetic surface 31. In actual practice of this invention, the support rods 15 and 16 and their loops 17 and 18 have been made of a No. 9 or larger nonmagnetic aluminum wire. The columns 29-26 are preferably made of glass, or clear plastic, not only because these are non-magnetic materials, but also for transparency to permit observation of the supply of straight pins 21. The caps 22-22 may be made of any suitable nonmagnetic material, such as rubber or plastic. It will be understood that the column 20 may be of any convenient len th depending upon the supply of straight pins demanded by the user. Moreover, only one post 12 supporting one column may be employed, or any number of posts and columns may be used upon the same base It).

In using the device, the cap 22 is removed and the straight pins 21 are inserted preferably head down so that the desired number of straight pins are received in the column 29. When the column 26 is not in use, the outlet 25 may be temporarily sealed by a piece or" plastic tape or other material in order to prevent the pins from dropping out of the hole 25. The column 20 may be pro-loaded for storage or shipment to the user, or the column 26 may be loaded in situ, as desired.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser for magnetic straight pins comprising:

(a) a portable base,

(12) a magnet supported on said base having a top surface,

(c) a tubular column having an open top and a bottom portion, for receiving said pins,

((1) means on said base for supporting said column in an upright position above said top surface,

(6) said bottom portion comprising an outlet for one or more pins, spaced above said top surface a distance less than the length of any of said pins, said outlet being coaxial with said column.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said bottom portion comprises a fiat annular ledge surrounding said outlet for supporting some of said pins.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said bottom portion comprises an annular side Wall tapering downward and inwardly to join the outer periphery of said ledge.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which said means for supporting said column comprises an upright post mounted on said base, a top rod and a bottom rod extending laterally in the same direction from said post,

the free ends of said rods comprising closed loops, said bottom loop having a diameter slightly less than the outer diameter of said column, and said top loop having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said column.

5. The invention according to claim 4 in which a plurality of pairs of top and bottom rods are supported to extend laterally from said post in ditferent directions to support other like columns, and a magnet is mounted in said base below each column.

6. A dispenser for magnetic straight pins comprising:

(a) a portable base,

(b) a pair of parallel upright posts mounted on top of said base,

(0) a handle bar connecting the tops of said posts,

(d) sets of top and bottom support rods extending laterally from each post, the top and bottom rods in each set extending laterally in the same plane,

(e) a tubular column for each set of support rods, each column having an open top and a bottom portion having an inwardly and downwardly tapering side wall and a fiat bottom wall,

(1) each set of support rods comprising means for vertically receiving and supporting a column in upright position above said base,

g) a magnet for each column supported in said base having a top surface spaced from the bottom wall of each corresponding column a distance less than the length of any of said straight pins, and

(h) a centrally disposed outlet in each bottom wall coaxial with said column.

7. The invention according to claim 6 in which said outlet is circular and said bottom wall comprises an annular ledge around said outlet for supporting some of said pins.

8. The invention according to claim 6 in which the bottom support rods are sufficiently pliable to permit bending to adjust the vertical position of said column.

9. The invention according to claim 6 in which said base, posts, handle, support rods and columns are nonmagnetic.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,667,394 Goetz et al. Jan. 26, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 736,938 France Sept. 26, 1932 

1. A DISPENSER FOR MAGNETIC STRAIGHT PINS COMPRISING: (A) A PORTABLE BASE, (B) A MAGNET SUPPORTED ON SAID BASE HAVING A TOP SURFACE, (C) A TUBULAR COLUMN HAVING AN OPEN TOP AND A BOTTOM PORTION, FOR RECEIVING SAID PINS, (D) MEANS ON SAID BASE FOR SUPPORTING SAID COLUMN IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION ABOVE SAID TOP SURFACE, (E) SAID BOTTOM PORTION COMPRISING ON OUTLET FOR ONE OR MORE PINS, SPACED ABOVE SAID TOP SURFACE A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF ANY OF SAID PINS, SAID OUTLET BEING COAXIAL WITH SAID COLUMN. 